ASRS REPORT: 79965
Data Source |
AVIATION SAFETY REPORTING SYSTEM |
Report Number |
79965 |
Local Date |
01-JAN-88 |
Local Time |
1201-1800 |
Synopsis
SMT PLT DESCENDED TO ARPT UNDERLYING TCA, ACCUSED OF PENETRATING TCA.
Assessment
Event Primary Problem |
HUMAN FACTORS |
General Results |
NONE REPORTED / TAKEN |
Anomaly Information
In-Flight event Anomaly Desc |
WEATHER / TURBULENCE |
Other Anomaly Flag |
AIRSPACE VIOLATION ENTRY OR EXIT |
Anomaly Detected - Person Desc |
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL |
Location Information
Loc State Code |
CO |
Loc Ref ATC Name |
DEN |
Reference ID Distance (nm) |
20 |
Altitude MSL - Single Value(ft)
| 7500 |
Environmental Information
Weather Conditions |
VMC |
Light Condition |
DAYLIGHT
|
WX Elements Visual (sm) |
20 |
AIRCRAFT INFORMATION
Aircraft 1
Acft Make/Model Desc |
SMALL TRANSPORT, LOW WING, 2 RECIP ENG |
Acft Operator Desc |
PERSONAL |
Acft Flight Mission |
PERSONAL |
Acft Flight Phase |
DESCENT |
Acft Flight Plan |
NONE |
Flight Crew Count |
1 |
PERSON INFORMATION
Information For Person Sequence 1
Reporting Organization Other |
NONPROFESSIONAL GA |
Flt Crew Exp (last 90 days) |
100 |
Flt Crew Total Exp |
2000 |
Flt Crew Exp |
350 |
Flt Crew Function |
SINGLE PILOT |
Flt Crew Qual Desc |
AIR TRANSPORT PILOT (ATP) |
Narrative
A VFR FLT, BEING CONDUCTED UNDER FAR PART 91, WAS APCHING DENVER CENTENNIAL ARPT (APA) FROM THE SW. ATIS INDICATED VISUAL APCH TO RWY 35L/R IN USE. DSCNT WAS COMMENCED FROM 17500' MSL, 50 SW OF APA, PLANNING A FINAL APCH ALT OF 7500 MSL WITH A TARGET ALT OF 8000 MSL 20 SW OF DEN. AT APPROX 13000' MSL, 30 SW OF DEN, HDG 060 DEG MAGNETIC, IAS OF 200 KTS, SEVERE TURB WAS ENCOUNTERED (SIGMET FOR SUCH WAS CURRENT). THE ACFT WAS SLOWED TO DESIGN MANEUVERING SPD (155 KTS), TEMPORARILY STOPPING DSCNT. TO AVOID TCA CONFLICT A 30 DEG RIGHT TURN (TO 090 DEG MAGNETIC) WAS MADE. DME INFO FROM DEN VORTAC INDICATED POSITION OUTSIDE TCA. SEVERE TURB AND COCKPIT WORKLOAD PREVENTED RETUNING NAV RECEIVER TO 110.3 MHZ (DEN 26L ILS AND NAV FAC UPON WHICH TCA IS PREDICATED, APPROX 1 1/2 NM SSW OF DEN VORTAC), HOWEVER, VISUAL INFO INDICATED POSITION TO CONTINUE TO BE OUTSIDE OF TCA UNTIL 10000' MSL REACHED WHEN HDG 080 DEG MAGNETIC ASSUMED FOR 'WIDE LEFT BASE, OUTSIDE POWER LINES TO 35R' AS ADVISED BY APA TWR. (THESE POWER LINES ARE NOTED TO BE AT 16 DME TCA ARC ON DEN TCA CHART.) AT 8500' MSL, XING I25 (ROAD) AND S OF POWER LINES, CONTACT WITH APA TWR WAS MADE AS REQUESTED AND TURN TO FINAL COMMENCED. THE ACFT WAS SLOWED TO VLE SPD (140 KT) SLOWING DSCNT UNTIL TURN TO FINAL COMPLETED. VASI INDICATED PINK/WHITE, NECESSITATING SLIGHTLY INCREASED DSCNT RATE, UNTIL RED/WHITE OBTAINED AND THE LNDG COMPLETED. REQUEST WAS RECEIVED FROM APA TWR TO CONTACT DEN TRACON BY TELEPHONE. REQUEST COMPLIED WITH AND SUPVR OF DEN APCH ADVISED THAT AN ACFT APPROX OUR APCH PROFILE ENCROACHED DEN TCA IN 2 AREAS (SW CORNER AND S OF APA). DEN WAS ADVISED THAT OUR ACFT WAS CLEAR OF TCA AT ALL TIMES TO THE BEST OF PIC'S KNOWLEDGE, EVEN GIVEN LIMITATIONS PRESENTED BY SEVERE TURB AND INCREASED FLT DECK WORKLOAD. TWO POINTS OF SAFETY ARE NOTED BY THIS PIC: 1) DEN TCA WOULD BE BETTER PREDICATED ON DEN VORTAC TO AVOID NECESSITY OF CONTINUOUS RETUNING OF NAV EQUIPMENT AT TIMES WHEN THE FLT DECK WORKLOAD IS HIGHEST. LESS SOPHISTICATED ACFT AND THOSE NOT UTILIZING THE DEN ILS ARE THE MOST LIKELY TO REQUIRE TCA AVOIDANCE. 2) IN THIS PIC'S JUDGEMENT, TCA AVOIDANCE (OR APCH CTL CONTACT) CAN BE CONSIDERED SECONDARY TO ACFT CTL AND PAX SAFETY IN CONDITIONS OF SEVERE TURB, THOUGH OBVIOUSLY SUCH CANNOT BE COMPLETELY IGNORED.
END REPORT